NAKAJIMA KIKKA: THE SUICIDE REACTOR
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 Author: José Luis Crespo

History When the sons of the rising sun see the proximity of the end of it contends, they resorted to a number of suicides ingenuities, all technological adaptations to the Kamikaze philosophy, that in greater or smaller measurement could not be applied in it practices for the sudden end of the war with the two atomic bombs. As of the project study Me-262 to middle of 1944, the high Japanese command analyze the factibility of employing a reactor of similar characteristic, as of the aeronautic Japanese development that reigned in those moments. Without place to doubts the influence of the Messerschmitt 262 in the project was important in the development of the Kikka, adopting a final model 4/5 smaller in its dimensions of the original airplane. Likewise its engines EN-20 were based on the BMW 003A turbojet, but was ¾ more less in measures than this. Its put ready we can indicate that went extremely short, registering its first flight at command of Lieutenant Takaoka, with a second flight the 11 August 1945, where suffered serious objections as of brakes fault, that were an adaptation of the ones utilized in the Zero. It is known that less than one week later was finish the war.

The Eagle Talon model. Nowadays with the excellent quality of the plastic kits that they leave to the market, a challenge results and up to a point a strange that we incline for a vacuform model, however the kits of Eagle Talon, they present a extremely competitive termination to the hour of the election, it besides count on models little common. When we incline for the Kikka of American brands, not there was left to the market the Czech injected kit of MPM, but of any form to been a model to enjoy. The model is presented in two white vacuform plates with an acetate cockpit. Logically there are pieces that are advisable to replace, as the landing gears, wheels and engines interior, that they are very elementary. Other, for example, is necessary to build them in scratch, as the interiors of the cockpit. On this point the instruction sheet brings us a drawing of the control panel as aid, so with this draw and the panel of the kit of the Academy’s Bf-109 an acceptable transformation can be achieved. Another problem is the well of the main landing gear, that does not exist in the model and we should create of the nothing, trying to give realism with stretched plastic.

The paint. The paint scheme of the Kikka does not have many alternatives, since as opposedded to the MPM kit, that contributes with an hypotetic version, Eagle Talon in his scheme suggests the test airplane (dark green and light grey) but without decals, should resort to the excedents Japanese national insignia that we have -paid attention because they are the hinomarus with white edge.. The bibliography is the great misfortune of the model, in my case I resorted to the editorial Delta book -Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft of the Pacific War, Vol II., March 1997-, although if they have the fortune of obtain the edition of the Kikka by Robert C. Mikesh, Monogram Close Up Nr.19, will be the persons of more fortune of the planet. In short is a very recommendable model to be initiated in a vacuform kit or simply if we want to have this suicide reactor in your collection.